Golf green or the like



4 SheetSA-Sheet 1 Inventor Attorney T. H. NORTH GOLF GREEN OR THE LIKE Filed Jan. 28,v 1936 March 3o, 1937.'

'la I l IU wlmi /R MalCh 30, T NORTH 2,075,590

GOLF GREEN OR THE LIKE Filed Jan. 28, 1936 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 V 4. I Zi Z9 Invntor 4 ZT/5. f/V/" Attorney A By Marcm 30, 1937. T. H. NORTH 2,075,590 v GOLF GREEN 0E THE LIKE Filed- Jn. 28,' 193e 4 sheets-sheet s March 30, 1937. T, H, NORTH 2,075,590

vGOLF GREEN 0R THE LIKE Filed Jan. 28, 193e 4 sheets-sheet 4 Homey Patented Mar. 30, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE GOLF GREEN R THE. LIKE Application January Z8, 1936, Serial No. 61,143

6 Claims.

My invention relates generally to golf greens or similar botanical arrangements, and particularly to artificial greens having self-irrigating features, and an important object of my invention is to provide green construction of this type which can be kept continually fresh and in playing condition.

Another important object of my invention is to provide artificial greens of the character indicated above which involve water reservoir means which can be made to contain a suicient amount of moisture and water for `maintaining the green in condition, either by supplying water directly to the reservoir means or by supplying the reservoir means through seepage from the surrounding earth.

Another important object of my invention is to provide simple and relatively inexpensive arrangements of the character indicated above which are comparatively easily installed, and 20 which require very little care for the proper maintenance thereof.

y Other important objects of my invention will be apparent from a reading of the following description in connection with the drawings, wherein for purposes of illustration I have shown a preferred embodiment of my invention.

In the drawings:-

Figure 1 is a top plan view showing the reservoirinstalled in conforming depressions in the ground and before the covering has been applied thereto.

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the reservoir.

Figure 3 is a transverse vertical sectional view taken through Figure 2 approximately on the line 3-3.

Figure 4 is a transverse vertical sectional view taken through Figure 2 approximately on the line ,4--4.

40 Figure 5 is a transverse vertical sectional view i taken through Figure 2 approximately on the line Figure 6 is a horizontal sectional view taken through one corner of the reservoir.

45 Figure 7 is a transverse vertical sectional view taken through the completed green and showing the covering laid upon the reservoir.

Figure 8 is a fragmentary top plan view of a modified form of the invention which is devoid 50 of slotted sides and bottom.

Figure 9 is a transverse vertical sectional View taken through Figure 8 approximately on the line 9 -9 of Figure 8 and looking upwardly in the direction of the arrows.

55 Figure 10 is a transverse vertical sectional view taken through Figure 8 approximately on the line Ill- I0 and looking toward the left in the direction of the arrows.

Referring in detail to the drawings, the numeral 5 refers generally to an excavation which is made in the ground 6 to the shape of the reservoir I and of approximately the same depth as the reservoir so that the top of the reservoir comes approximately flush with the top of the ground. The numeral 8 generally designates a mat of bagging or the like which is laid across the top of the reservoir and has its marginal edges lying also on the edges of the excavation 5, the bagging acting as a porous moisture containing and pass; ing element which not only holds the covering from passing into the reservoir, but carries the moisture from the reservoir to the covering so as to maintain the covering in the proper moist condition.

The covering comprises the relatively thin layer of earth 9 which is laid directly upon the bagging mat 8. A thicker layer of wet straw Ill is laid upon the earth layer 9. A second earth layer I'I thicker than the layer Q is laid upon the straw.

Upon the earthen layer II is laid a comparatively thick layer of cotton seed nuns which is generally designated I2 and which immediately supports the turf layer I3 which is composed of turf and earth. Of course, the layer I3 may be devoid of grass if desired, but the arrangement of the invention particularly contemplates the presence of grass in the layer I3. As indicated in the drawings, the various layers which form the cover extend beyond the sides and ends of the reservoir 'I and its excavation or pit 5. l

Although the reservoir of the present invention may assume forms other than the generally rectangular form illustrated in Figures 1 and 2, the rectangular form best embodies the invention. 40

The reservoir, already generally designated 'I comprises the longitudinal side members III and I5 and the transverse members I6, I1, I8, I9, ZIJ and 2 I.

As indicated in Figure l, the device of the invention may consist of several units of the type shown in Figure 2, laid edge to edge or in some other suitable arrangement. These units are severally generally designated by the numeral 2.2.

It will be observed that the longitudinal side member I4 has at one end a reduced extension 23 which has rising therefrom a vertical conduit 24 which is of a sufficient height to penetrate the covering and rise to a position approximately flush with the turf layer I3, sovas tobe readily accessible to receive water for filling the interior of the reservoir whenever required. A suitable cover (not shown) may be provided for the ups per end of the conduit 24 to keep out dirt `and to '5 preserve the continuity of the green surface.

Except for the extension 23 the longitudinal side members Id and I are identical in construction, each consisting of a pair of floor boards 25 and 26 which areulaid edge toedge and abutting as indicated by thenumeral 2l. From the top of `the floor boards rises a rectangular frame 28 which acts ,as a brace for the boards 25 and 26 and also for the vertically spaced side wall forme ing boards 29l and 3G and 3i and 32. The spacings 33 and 34 between the last-mentioned boards provide for seepage of the moisture and water through the side walls, so that exchange of moisture may take place between the earth surrounding the side member M, and the interior thereof.

Fastened to the top of the frame 28 and to the upper edges of the side walls are the top forming boards 35, 36, 3'I, 38 and 39 which have their opposed edges spaced as indicated by the numeral 4i) to provide for exchange of water and moisture between the interior of the side member I4 and the covering which lies upon the tops of these boards.

Each of the transverse members already de- 30 nominated comprises similarly related floor boards 25 and 2S and similar wall forming boards 3i and 32 spaced as indicated by the numeral 34 and top forming boards 35', 36', 31, 33' and 39 similar to the top forming boards of the side 35 members I4 and I5.

The position of one of the side member supporting frames or braces 28 is clearly shown in Figure 6 while the position of one of the braces or frames 28 of the transverse members is clearly shown also in Figure 6 and in Figure 5. Several of the respective supporting frames or braces are used throughout the lengths of the side and transverse members according to requirements.

Experience has shown that a very adequate material for constructing the units 22 is cypress lumber, of two-by-four inch size, as a unit constructed of this material lasts indefinitely and Vfunctions with the greatest satisfaction for the particular purpose.

The embodiment shown in Figures 8, 9 and 10 is of the same general form and arrangement as the above described embodiment but has instead of the slotted sides and bottom, 4the closed sides formed of the planks 29a, 30a, 3Ia, 32a and the planks 29h, 3l]b and 3Ib, 32b whose contiguous edges are abutted to form solid walls. The bottoms of the reservoir channels -in the present embodiment are formed of the planks 25a, 26a which have their contiguous edges abutted to form a solid bottom.

The interior brace structures 2&3a and 28b are the same as the interior brace structures of the first described embodiment.

The tops of the reservoir channels are formed of spaced narrower planks 35a, 36a, 31a, 38a,

39a in the case of the longitudinal channels |421,

and 35h, 36h, 31h, 38h, 39b in the case of the transverse channels IGH, I'Ia, I8a, Ilia, 20a, 2Ia, so that the water escape slots 2Ib areformed through which the water travels into and irrigates the green structure.

aovaseo It is to be understood that a green structure or the like similar to that shown in Figure 1 is or may be imposed on the last described embodiment and for the same purposes. While in some installations the first described form of the invention is suitable and efiicient and supplies a relatively large amount of water, this form uses much more water than the last described form of the invention and for this reason may not be suitable for certain installations where reasons "of ywater economy and the type of soil may dictate a smaller expenditure of water, in which case the last described embodiment or form of the invention would be more suitable. Obviously the closed sides and bottom of the second embodiment obviate the escape of water which takes place through the side slots 33, 34 and 33', 34 and the bottom slots 21 of the rst described form and permit the escape of water in quantity only through the slots formed between the narrow slats of the top. Where suflicient water irrigation can be achieved with the smaller expenditure oi.' water due to soil conditions and the like, the last described embodiment is to be recommended.

Although I have shown and described herein a preferred embodiment of my invention, it is to be definitely understood that I do not desire to limit the application of the invention thereto, and

scribed for installation in a ground surface, a.

water and moisture reservoir laid in a conforming depression in the ground surface and having openings in its top, an absorbent fabric sheet ly-l ing on the top of the reservoir, and a plurality of green-forming layers laid on said sheet, and a conduit leading from the upper surface of the green into said reservoir for conveying the Water into the reservoir.

3. A device of the character described for installation in the ground surface, said device cornprising a reservoir to be laid in a conformingdepression in the ground surface, and an absorbent covering laid on the ground surface and on the top of said reservoir in moisture-receiving relation to the reservoir, said reservoir consisting of at least one unit comprising a plurality of transverse conduits and a pair of longitudinal conduits in communication with the ends of the transverse conduits,said conduits being formed with longitudinally distributed Water escape openings in the sides and top thereof.

4. A device of the character described for installation in the ground surface, said device comprising a reservoir to be laid in a conforming depression in the ground surface, and an absorbent covering laid on the ground surface and on the top of said reservoir in moisture-receiving relation to the reservoir, said reservoir consisting ofat least one unit comprising a plurality of transverse conduits and a pair of longitudinal conduits in communication with the ends of the transverse conduits, said conduits being formed with longitudinal distributed water escape openings in the top thereof, the sides of said conduits being solid and devoid of openings.

5. A device of the character described and adapted for installation in a conforming opening in the ground surface whereby the upper part of said device is below ground level, said device being polygonal in plan, said device comprising spaced end members, and a plurality of transverse members, the outer ends of said transverse members being connected to and in communication with the respective end members, each of said members comprising an imperforate bottom, imperforate side walls, and a top containing several slots formed therethrough and extending substantially the length of the respective member.

6. A device of the character described and adapted for installation in a conforming opening in the ground surface whereby the upper part of said device is below ground level, said device being polygonal in plan, said device comprising spaced end members, and a plurality of transverse members, the outer ends of said transverse members being connected to and in communication with the respective end members, each of said members comprising an imperforate bottom, perforate side walls, and a top containing several slots formed therethrough and extending substantially the length of the respective member. 

